PESHAWAR: Health department has formed a seven-member committee to formulate rules and regulations for the implementation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Healthcare Service Providers and Facilities (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2020, to safeguard healthcare workers, patients and establishments against unlawful activities disrupting healthcare services.

Doctors have called off strike after formation of committee by the government. Young Doctors Association had announced to go on strike against non-implementation of the law.

Health Secretary Shahidullah Khan formed the committee under special secretary with additional secretary and deputy secretary (litigation) of health department, additional director-general health services and representatives of law and establishment departments as its members. The committee has been tasked to deliberate and formulate comprehensive rules and regulations in the light of provision of the Act to ensure its effective implementation, protection of healthcare providers and facilities and prevention of violence and damage to public health property.

The committee, according to a notification, may co-opt any technical expert or relevant stakeholder, as deemed appropriate to assist it in achieving the mandate. It has been asked to submit its recommendations to government within a month for further necessary action.

Doctors call off strike after constitution of the committee

The law has been passed by the provincial assembly but it has been in limbo since then. After every act of violence in hospitals, representatives of healthcare workers go into protest mood and close hospitals, shutting doors of treatment on patients seeking free treatment. In every strike, only patients visiting hospitals in morning shift for free examination or those, who have to undergo surgeries in official time, suffer.

The unfortunate aspect of the strikes is that the doctors, who stay away from OPD or operation theatre in the morning shifts, remain present in their private clinics not only outside the hospitals but even patients are seen in institution-based practice (IBP) in evening shift in hospitals on paying consultation fee. This practice was observed on Tuesday as well.

Experts says that government and doctors are equally responsible for disruption of patients’ care as both sides sit together after few days of every strike and resolve to settle the issue. This also happened during the latest strings of protests on Tuesday.

After the gruesome murder of Dr Mehwish Hasnain in Kohat last month, doctors have been demanding enforcement of the Act passed five years ago. The government has been dragging feet to fulfil the demand.

Police claimed to have arrested two killers of Dr Mehwish, a mother of four children, who was killed over a petty issue.

Some of the healthcare providers are of the opinion that doctors should have deferred their strike for the sanctity of the holy month of Ramazan. They say that doctors should have waited for the outcome of the case and health department should have formed the committee earlier to pre-empt the strike.

The issue of violence against healthcare providers is very serious. The violence-makers don’t face the course of law which have emboldened others to resort to physical violence against healthcare workers.

The latest killing of the lady doctor in Kohat and that of Dr Warda Mushtaq in Abbottabad last year have beset the medics, who are justified in demanding a law that has been enacted after massive research showing that violence against healthcare providers is rampant in the province. The endless series of violence has caused scare among hospitals’ staffers, especially women health workers, who fear for their lives.

Senior executives at medical teaching institutions hope that the government will resolve the issue of security at the earliest because protests lead to patients’ sufferings.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026